Deroy Danielson

DEROY DANIELSON came to Cheyenne County in 1887, has been a homesteader, is still an extensive land owner, farmer and stock raiser and is head of the largest hardware and implement house in the county, and besides his personal activities he has reared a splendid family of sons and daughters and had four sons in training or in service as soldiers during the great war.

Mr. Danielson was born in Henry County, Illinois, January 31, 1863, but has lived in Kansas since he was eight years old. His father, Daniel Danielson, was born in Sweden in 1834. At the age of thirteen he came with his parents to the United States. They settled in Henry County, Illinois, in 1847, being among the pioneers of that locality, where he grew up and spent a number of years following the trade of carpenter. He brought his family to Kansas in the spring of 1871, and lived on a homestead in Clay County for twelve years. He went through all the trials and vicissitudes of a Kansas homesteader during the decade of the '70s. From Clay County he moved to Republic County and continued farming there until he retired and moved out to California in 1903. He died at Eureka in that state in 1916. While in Kansas he was honored with a number of township offices. He was a republican and an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Daniel Danielson married Martha Peterson. She was also born in Sweden, in 1834, and her death occurred at Eureka, California, in 1915. Her oldest child, Caroline, is the wife of Olof Frank, a foreman in Swift's Packing house at Kansas City, Missouri; Minnie, the second in age, died at Pasadena, California, in 1913, wife of Rev. J. B. Anderson, a Methodist minister, also deceased; Deroy is the third in age of the family; Amilda, married H. R. Brown and lives at Eureka, California. William is foreman in a warehouse at Gresham, Oregon; Mary married A. P. Peterson, foreman of the Chicago Lumber Company at St. Edward, Nebraska; F. E. Danielson is In the real estate business at Kansas City, Missouri, and Martha has a millinery establishment in San Francisco.

Deroy Danielson secured his early education in the rural schools of Clay and Republic counties. At the age of seventeen he left his father's farm and for two years clerked in a store at Clay Center, and another year at Scandia, Kansas. Then after a year devoted to finishing his education at Kansas City, Missouri, he ventured with all his youthful fortunes, his hopes and energies out to Cheyenne County, Kansas, in 1887, and grappled with fate on a homestead. He also took up a timber claim of 160 acres, and this half section was the scene of his labors for nine years. Since leaving the farm his home has been in St. Francis, and though he sold his original one-half section he has since acquired 1,000 acres in the county. Much of his land adjoins St. Francis and 750 acres comprises an irrigated farm, growing alfalfa and livestock.

When Mr. Danielson moved into St. Francis in 1896 he established the firm of Deroy Danielson & Company, hardware and farm implements. He built up the business but after five years sold out and resumed his place on his ranch for four years. In 1904 he bought the stock of the original company and conducted it under his individual direction and management until 1917, since which time two of his soldier sons have been partners and the business is styled Deroy Danielson & Sons. They have a large investment, ample stock, and carry on the most extensive business in the county in hardware, harness, implements and farm tractors, and also have a grocery department.

Mr. Danielson has accumulated considerable property in St. Francis, including a brick dwelling and other local real estate and also his modern home erected in 1913. This is the best located residence and has the best laid out grounds in the town. The house, furnished with all modern conveniences, is worth $10,000. Mr. Danielson is an independent voter and a member of the board of trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Two years before he came out to Cheyenne County, in 1885, Mr. Danielson married in Republic County Miss Sadie Campbell. Her parents, John and Sarah Campbell, are both deceased. Her father was a soldier in the Civil war and was a pioneer cattle man in Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Danielson have seven children: Wayne, the oldest, is on his father's ranch; D. C. Danielson, his father's business partner since 1917, is a sergeant in the National Army, and at the close of 1918 was at Camp Hancock near Augusta, Georgia; Arlie, the second junior partner, is a chief gunner's mate in the United States Navy, and was last stationed at San Pedro, California; William is also in the United States Army and was stationed at Riverside, California; Deroy, Jr., is in the Students Army Training Corps at Salina, Kansas; Paul is still in school and is working for his father; and the youngest, Ruth, is in the first year of the Cheyenne County High School. Mr. Danielson has been chairman of three Red Cross drives and has given active support to all other war work and is a member of the County Council of Defense.